The use of CT for imaging structures within the human body has revolutionized the diagnosis and care of patients. The high resolution images obtainable with currently available CT scanners combined with advanced computer image processing methods provides the capability for truly three-dimensional radiography. One of the most important roles played by a CT is its use in the emergency room of large hospitals. CT scanners have been placed in trucks so that the scanner may be transported to different hospitals or clinics for scanning. CT scanners have not been used in operating rooms due to their size, complexity and need for placing and moving the patient into and within the scanner.
CT scanners have found wide application in industry for nondestructive testing of objects such as turbine blades, rocket engines, composite structures, castings, welds and ceramic structures. The CT scanner is at a fixed location and the objects to be tested are moved to the scanner and rotated to provide the necessary scanning views. The use of scanners is limited to objects which can be moved and placed in the scanner.
Medium to large sized composites and metal structures such as aircraft, helicopters, etc., are subject to fatigue during use and must be inspected at frequent intervals. It is often necessary to dismantle such structures so that the parts can be moved to a fixed facility for inspection. In other instances, since it is not practical to disassemble the structure, CT x-ray scanning cannot be performed.
There is a need for a mobile CT scanner which can be used to image critical parts of large structures such as aircraft to detect damage, particularly in regions inaccessible to conventional inspection technology. There is a further need for such systems which permit inspection of the entire aircraft rapidly and at moderate cost. Other examples of industrial use of CT scanners are the inspection of wheels and landing assembly of aircraft parked at terminals, inspection of helicopter rotor blades and main rotor heads when the helicopter is parked at an air field. A mobile scanner can also be used for inspection of large forgings and castings in factories during fabrication, bridges and other structures.